Core–Shell Poly(l-lactic acid)-Hyaluronic Acid Nanofibers for Cell Culture and Pelvic Ligament Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has become one of the most common serious diseases affecting parous women. Weakening of pelvic ligaments plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of POP. Currently, synthetic materials are widely applied for pelvic reconstructive surgery. However, synthetic nondegradable meshes for POP therapy cannot meet the clinical requirements due to its poor biocompatibility. Herein, we fabricated electrospun core–shell nanofibers of poly(l-lactic acid)-hyaluronic acid (PLLA/HA). After that, we combined them with mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) to assess the cellular response and pelvic ligament tissue engineering in vitro. The cellular responses on the composite nanofibers showed that the core–shell structure nanofibers displayed with excellent biocompatibility and enhanced cellular activity without cytotoxicity. Moreover, compared with PLLA nanofibers seeded with mBMSCs, PLLA/HA nanofibers exhibited more cellular function, as revealed by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for pelvic ligament-related gene markers including Col1a1, Col1a3 and Tnc. These features suggested that this novel core–shell nanofiber is promising in stem cell-based tissue engineering for pelvic reconstruction.

Natural, synthetic and commercially-available biopolymers used to regenerate tendons and ligaments

“…Electrospun core–shell nanofibers of poly(l-lactic acid)-hyaluronic acid (PLLA/HA) were also evaluated for pelvic ligament tissue engineering in vitro in presence of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs). The core–shell nanofiber showed high expression gene markers including type I collagen, type III collagen, and tenascin-C [ 80 ].…”

Puerarin‐Loaded Electrospun Patches with Anti‐Inflammatory and Pro‐Collagen Synthesis Properties for Pelvic Floor Reconstruction

“…As shown in Figure 2f , the release rate of Pue reached 50% over the first 3 days, and then the release rate subsequently slowed and remained stable for more than 20 days for a total release rate exceeding 80%. Compared to other drug‐loaded electrospun patches used for POP, such as PLA‐ascorbic acid electrospun patch [ 14a ] and PLLA‐bFGF electrospun patch, [ 4 ] PLLA@Pue patch did not show obvious drug burst release and had more stable and long‐lasting release characteristics. This may be related to the fact that Pue is slightly soluble in water.…”

“…[ 13 ] Among them, biodegradable poly( l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) electrospun patches have been reported by several research groups for repairing pelvic floor fascia due to their standardized production, controllable degradation rate and mechanical strength that is close to that of healthy pelvic soft tissues. [ 4 , 14 ]…”

“…[ 16 ] For example, Mangır and colleagues prepared poly(lactic acid) (PLA)‐based ascorbic acid‐releasing electrospun nanofibers and found that the ascorbic acid‐loaded nanofibers could significantly increase collagen deposition and therefore have the potential to enhance natural tissue repair in POP applications. [ 14a ] Some electrospun patches loaded with bioactive factors, such as gelatin [ 17 ] or fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), [ 4 ] have good biocompatibility and can reduce the inflammatory response caused by patch implantation. However, at present, electrospun patches modified by drugs or loaded with bioactive factors have only anti‐inflammatory or pro‐collagen synthesis functions, but not both.…”

Comparative Study of Crystallization, Mechanical Properties, and In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Nanocomposites at Low Filler Loadings of Hydroxyapatite for Bone-Tissue Engineering Based on Poly(l-lactic acid)/Cyclo Olefin Copolymer

“…F-actin and DAPI staining were used to examine cell morphologies in addition to cell proliferation as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. The PrestoBlue analysis was supported by F-actin and DAPI image analysis with the passage of time [64].…”